According to the results of 79 searches, 11 people were detained at persons engaged in smuggling cigarettes and tobacco, as well as pyrotechnic products. Among those detained are a police officer from IPJ Arad, a border police officer and two anti-fraud inspectors. Three more people are under judicial control. Later, 11 detainees were remanded in custody.

• Dozens of searches in 14 counties and the capital in the case of smuggling cigarettes and explosives. The amount of damages is 13 million euros
• A police officer from Arad, heard in the case of smuggling cigarettes and explosive materials

According to a press release sent on Wednesday by IPJ Arad and quoted by News.ro, 11 arrested persons and three under investigation under judicial control are accused of creating an organized criminal group, possessing any person outside the tax warehouse or trading in the Romanian territory of excise goods, subject to marking, unmarked or improperly marked or falsely marked over the limit of 10,000 cigarettes, aggravated smuggling, money laundering (authority and complicity) and complicity in non-compliance with the explosives regime.

“The conducted research revealed that in the period 2022-2024, members of two criminal groups purchased excise goods from outside Romania, fraudulently imported them into the country (with the complicity or support of some officials from Romania). government bodies) and deposited for use on the black market. Thus, individuals at the coordination levels would identify suppliers of products of interest to criminal groups and initiate orders, subsequently organizing carriers and delivering excise or contraband goods to customers. Leaders have also repeatedly initiated and participated in several meetings with members, during which the course of action, financial aspects and measures to protect illegal activities were analyzed,” the message reads.

In addition, to ensure the success of criminal activities, they would maintain contact with other people at the level of protection (officials) who would facilitate the entry of transport into the country, and then, for the safe delivery of excise goods, including by providing information about police actions, location of surveillance devices and access to data from centralized databases.

“Recipients or beneficiaries of consignments of excise or contraband goods located in the country would represent another important segment, they periodically contact the managers to order excise goods. Later, he hid the goods in underground warehouses and distributed them to his customers on the black market,” IPJ Arad reports.

In order to lose track, the members of the group built a production shop, where lines for processing tobacco and producing cigarettes were to be installed.

On Wednesday, the Judge for Rights and Freedoms of the Court of Timișoara was notified of the preventive arrest for 30 days in respect of 11 detained persons.

According to DIICOT, the Judge of the Court of Rights and Freedoms of Timișoara accepted the proposal of the prosecutors of DIICOT – Territorial Service of Timisoara and ordered the preventive arrest of 11 accused.